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The Sound of Music was released in 1965, written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and directed by Robert Wise. Julie Andrews was coming off her success as Mary Poppins, and The Sound of Music did nothing to dent her squeaky clean image. But then again, we wouldn’t have wanted it to. Julie Andrews was perfect casting as Maria as she appeals to parents, who want her to look after their unruly children, and children, who want her to look after them. And she can sing too.
The songs are arguably the focus of the film; it is called The Sound of Music after all. It is this music that brings happiness back into the lives of the Von Trapp family after the death of their mother. I know that may sound trite, but I am allowed to say it because of the quality of the songs. Even those who haven’t seen the film (and there are many who doggedly refuse to watch it) can recognise some if not all of the songs. It is a testament to their popularity that the film has one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time, one which has never gone out of print. From the opening title track to the lesson in how to sing a perfect scale, each song remains unforgettable.
For those who like a little bit more edge to their family musicals, there’s the added threat of the Nazis and the looming Second World War. Every good love story has war somewhere in the background – Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, Dr. Zhivago – but The Sound of Music is not simply a love story. It is just as much about the Captain reconnecting with his children and Maria discovering that she was never cut out to be a nun. There is also humour to be found while we watch Maria dealing with frogs in her dress and pine cones on her chair.
As someone who’s been on The Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, can name all seven Von Trapp children, and who wore out her video copy and the video player when she was four-years-old after repeated viewings, you would be forgiven for thinking I’m slightly obsessed. But there must be something in it, as it went on to win the Best Picture Oscar in 1966. Please forgive it for starting a new wave of reality TV shows hosted by Graham Norton, designed to put more money into Andrew Lloyd Webber’s pockets; none of that can recreate the magic of the original. Everyone has a film that they will never tire of seeing; it just so happens that mine has nuns, Nazis and tuneful melodies. What more could you want?
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